Vegetables are one of the healthiest kinds of food in the world and the different kinds of vegetables give us a choice of options to pik from. The vegetables not only differ in appearance, texture, size, colour but also in how they are prepared.

Some vegetables are better plucked, washed and thrown in the mouth while others need to be steamed for a little while. Some other vegetables can survive the heat of the oil while some can be properly boiled. These different methods of preparing vegetables help retain their awesomeness and make them actually serve their purpose.

Let’s start with vegetables that don’t need any form of cooking:

1. Brocolli: Cooking this leaches out a major nutrient, Vitamin C. Brocolli can’t survive the heat of boiling; it benefits best when eating just the way it is.

2. Onions: Onion have some cancer-fighting properties and you will have full access to this in its uncooked state. Cooking onions at a high heat reduce these nutrients.

3. Red peppers: Just like onions; their nutrients reduce when they are cooked. Peppers are rich in Vitamin C so much, that one cup of red peppers provide more Vitamin C than an orange. You can slice these on salads to add colours and spice.

4. Kale: These contain a lot of Vitamin C and other antioxidants that get leeched out during cooking as well. The high fibre content might result in weird and usual reactions in some people; but consume kale in little quantity.

Vegetables you should definitely cook:

1. Carrots: contrary to popular opinions, carrots should be cooked to maximize the beta-carotene that is useful for the immune system and the eyes.

2. Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are more nutritious when cooked than when eaten raw, plus they are more tasty when cooked. Potatoes also contain anti-nutrients and have to be peeled and cooked to remove them.

3. Tomatoes: when you cook your tomatoes; the heat breaks down their cell walls and release their most important nutrient- lycopene, which is a cancer-fighting nutrient.

What other cooking methods do you prepare your vegetables with?